The long-term objective of the research is to develop a testable model predictive of adjustment to parenthood. It is expected that this adjustment may be related, in part, to the expectant and new parents' response to experiences of pregnancy, birth and early postpartum. The specific aims of the research are to (1) identify and describe major theoretical constructs reflecting the human responses to the first-time childbearing experience, and (2) develop reliable and valid instruments to index the needs-and-concerns responses of expectant and new parents during the pregnancy, birth and early postpartum phases of the childbearing experience. The methodology chosen to develop the testable model will be a combination of inductive concept generation during Phase I (identification and definition of major constructs) and quantitative testing during Phase II scale development to index constructs. Scales will then be quantitatively tested for evidence of reliability and validity. More specifically, the inductive Phase I will include theoretical sampling of expectant and new parents with grounded theory analysis to identify concepts and saturate definitions at all phases of childbearing. From the conceptual perspective generated during Phase I, instruments to index each construct will be deductively developed and tested with samples of expectant and new parents at various points in the childbearing experience - especially during all trimesters of pregnancy, birth and the early postpartum. These phases are a continuation of early pilot work done by the author to identify concerns and index them with a tested scale. The result of this research will be a testable model that represents human responses to an important life event which is considered to be a healthy family transition but from which long-term problems in parenting and resultant child well-being may result. The model and instruments may be useful (1) to the researcher who needs reliable and valid instruments to evaluate childbearing program effectiveness; (2) to the nurse educator who teaches about nursing care oriented to a specific human response concerns of childbearing couples; and (3) to the clinician who wants to assess the concerns of childbearing parents in order to plan for pertinent and effective interventions.